


Bubbled

by FourFaces



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Steven was never saved in Bubbled AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 01:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8825806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FourFaces/pseuds/FourFaces
Summary: An alternate ending to “Bubbled”. Connie deals with losing Steven and with having some very realistic dreams about her lost friend. Crossposted on tumblr.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This one will not have a happy ending. Not sure if this is going to end up worse than Clouds with regards to angst.

Priyanka was the one to answer the door when Garnet arrived. She knew, instantly, that whatever Garnet was there for, it wasn’t good.

She called for Connie to come downstairs and invited the fusion into the house. She could see the grief on the gem’s face and immediately knew why she was here.

Something had happened to Steven.

~

Connie didn’t hear anything after Garnet had told her that Steven had been lost in space, having been pulled from the moon base by a Homeworld Ruby. She knew that Garnet was still speaking, but all she could think of was the fact that Steven was gone.

She wondered what he had thought about as he had disappeared into the depths of space. Was he scared? Did he know he was going to die?

Did he know how she had felt about him?

He had to. They had shared so much as Stevonnie. There was no way he didn’t know.

Did this mean that Stevonnie was gone too?

Yes. It had to.

She thought about the last conversation they had. Steven sounding shaky over the phone, asking her if he was a good person. She remembered the relief in his voice when she comforted him.

She wondered what had prompted that call.

She would probably never know.

Anger started to bubble up underneath her sadness. A Homeworld Gem had done this and she hadn’t even been able to protect him. She knew that she couldn’t have saved his life even if she had been there with him.

No, they both would have been dead.

She pushed away an intrusive thought that threatened to leak into the forefront of her mind. She couldn’t think like that. Not now.

"Pearl said she would understand if Connie no longer wished to come and train at the temple -” Connie heard Garnet’s voice say as she came back to reality.

“No,” Connie heard herself say. “The Earth is still my home and you can’t defend it alone. Tell Pearl I’ll be there to train when she wants me there.”

She didn’t need to look at Garnet to know that the fusion was staring at her with a pitied expression. She didn’t want sympathy right now.

She wanted revenge.

She knew that her mother would probably argue, but she didn’t care. If she had to run away from home, she would. Connie was going to find a way to bring the fight to Homeworld if she had to. She couldn’t let Steven die in vain.

“Alright,” she heard her mother sigh. Connie’s head whipped up to look at her. “You can continue to train, if it will help you get through this.”

Connie was shocked. She couldn’t believe it. Her mother was actually agreeing to this.

She found herself drifting off again as Garnet and Priyanka continued to talk. Could she really do this?

Of course she could. She would have gladly laid down her life for him when he was alive.

She would always do it for him.

~

The tears came when she was alone in her room. She finally allowed herself to mourn Steven.

It wasn’t fair. He was supposed to live forever and save the world. If anything, she was supposed to die first.

Now she had to live on without him.

She didn’t remember falling asleep. She only realized she was dreaming when she found herself on the beach where Stevonnie had first come into being. The pink sky that would normally be breathtaking forced her to weep. It only reminded her of the loss of her best friend and of the relationship they had formed together.

She heard someone shuffling behind her. She expected to turn around and see her mother or father.

Instead, she saw Steven.

And he was terrified.


	2. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie talks to Greg at Steven's memorial service after she has a nightmare.

“Steven?” Connie asked. “No, this has to be a dream.”

“Maybe?” Steven asked. “I … I don’t know what’s going on … I guess I fell asleep. I hope …”

Steven started to fade.

“Steven? Steven!” Connie cried out.

“Connie! Please -”

Steven seemed to blink out of existence as Connie jolted awake.

She looked around her room and scrambled for her phone. The room was still dark, but Connie hoped that it was later than it actually was.

When she turned on her phone, she saw that it was only midnight.

She wasn’t sure how she was going to go to sleep now. She wasn’t even sure what had just happened. The dream had seemed too real. It was as if Steven was actually there with her.

She knew that he couldn’t be, however. He was gone. Forever.

She curled up in bed and tried to hold back tears. She couldn’t cry anymore. She needed to be strong.

As she finally drifted to sleep, she found herself wondering if the dream would continue.

A part of her hoped that it wouldn’t.

~

Priyanka and Doug had agreed to let Connie stay home from school for the next few days. She needed time alone to process the loss of her best friend. Doug had relented and agreed to let Connie continue sword fighting practice when she was ready.

All of the conversations were held outside of Connie’s slightly ajar door. The girl sat on her bed, staring at her  feet, as she had done for hours now. She hadn’t even really been thinking about anything.

It was too much to process.

She still wondered what the dream about Steven was really about. She supposed that it had to be because she was so upset about losing him.

Even still, she wasn’t sure why she dreamed that he was asking her for help.

Greg had come by to check on her late in the afternoon. He sat on the bed and cried with her, both of them broken in the loss of Steven. When Connie told him she was still planning on being a full fledged member of the Crystal Gems, Greg nodded in understanding. He had often thought of doing the same thing before Rose had given up her form.

Now Connie was actually going to do it.

Later, Connie was alone again in her room, fighting the urge to sleep. She didn’t want nightmares.

She wanted Steven back.

~

When she had finally fallen asleep, her dreams were plagued with reliving moments with Steven. The memories were tainted with a deep sadness. She would never again get to experience life with Steven.

She found herself on the beach once more. She stood, looking out at the water. She wanted to see Steven so badly, but she knew that even if she saw him, he would only be a part of her subconscious.

She turned around and suddenly was face to face with him.

Steven looked cold and frightened as he reached out to Connie. She wanted to help him.

“Steven!” She cried out.

“Connie! Please! Help -”

Connie awoke in a cold sweat. She looked around the room. Steven was gone and she was alone again.

She sat up in bed and reached for her phone. She went to dial Steven’s number and then remembered.

She threw her phone against the wall and watched as the battery skittered across the floor.

~

The memorial service had been the hardest day of Connie’s life. She had not slept the night before, her mind plagued with thoughts of that latest dream with Steven. It had seemed so real. It was almost as if he had been there.

She barely listened as the gems talked about the child they raised. She couldn’t think about the memories now. She didn’t want to.

She didn’t want to think of anything.

Then something that Lapis Lazuli said caught Connie’s attention.

“He saved me from Malachite and I never thanked him enough. If he hadn’t entered my mind during his dreams, then I don’t think I would have been able to stay strong for as long as I did …”

Connie’s head snapped up.

Steven could enter dreams?

_What if …_

She waited until after the funeral. She needed to figure out a way to ask without sounding insensitive.

But perhaps there was hope.

She found Greg first and walked up to him.

“Hey Connie. How are you holding up?”

“I’ve been having dreams about him every night,” Connie started.

“Me too, kiddo,” Greg sighed.

“What kind? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Greg sighed.

“Nightmares, mostly. He seems so scared in them …”


	3. Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie makes contact. She hopes she has done it in time.

Connie lay in bed, trying to go to sleep.

Greg had been having the same nightmares Connie had. She couldn’t believe it. They were the exact same.

Maybe Steven was still alive. Maybe she could save him.

She had to try.

As she felt her eyelids grow heavy, she hoped that she would see Steven.

~

She felt the change before she saw Steven.

The classroom setting she had been in shifted around her, becoming the beach once more. She could feel the chill in the air and shivered.

“Don’t wake up,” she told herself. “You need to stay asleep for Steven.”

“Connie?”

She turned around and saw Steven.  He looked even more frightened than he had in the first dream she had. He looked at her with deep sadness in his eyes. She could see that he was extremely pale now.

Was she too late?

“Steven,” she started. “Where are you?”

“I … I don’t know. I went past an asteroid field a little while ago when Eyeball Ruby was still with me … she tried to kill me and I couldn’t … I’m so sorry …” Steven started to cry.

“I-it’s ok, Steven. You needed to protect yourself …” Connie whispered. “Have you seen any planets?”

“I … I don’t know … I’ve had a hard time keeping my eyes open since then. I thought if I tried to walk into dreams that maybe I could come home …” Steven whispered. “It’s so cold …”

Connie felt a twinge of fear run through her. She knew, from her science classes, just how dangerous it was for Steven to be out in space. She wasn’t even sure how he was still alive. It had to be because he was half gem.

“We’re going to find you, Steven,” Connie promised. “I’m going to tell the gems as soon as I wake up. You say you passed an asteroid field?”

“Yeah …”

“Ok … Maybe the gems will know where that is …”

There was a pause as Steven thought for a moment.

“Wait! I know who might know!” Steven cried out. “You need to go back to the barn! Tell Peridot and Lapis! They’ll know!”

“Lapis and Peridot?” Connie asked. “Do you think they’ll listen to me?”

“They have to! I talked about you all the time to them!” Steven cried out. “Please! They can find me the fastest!”

Connie nodded.

“I’ll tell them. And to make sure, you passed an asteroid field after leaving the moon.”

“Yes. I don’t know where I am though. I haven’t seen any other planets and the moon is too far away now …”

Connie felt her heart nearly stop.

What if he was too far away?

_No. Lapis can fly really fast. She can get to him in time. She has to._

She embraced Steven tightly until she was rudely awakened by her alarm.

She looked at her clock. It was her usual time to get up for training with Pearl.

She sighed.

Perhaps if she told Pearl as well, then Pearl could help her get to the barn.

~

“Wait, start over,” Pearl started. “He’s been dream walking? Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Connie cried out. “He’s been visiting me in my dreams. Maybe Greg too. And he’s scared. He told me what he saw last and I think we can still find him! We have to try, at least!”

Pearl struggled to hold back her tears. She had already mourned Steven but now there was a chance that he was alive.

What had they missed in their search?

She knew she would need to tell Garnet. She needed to know as well.

Would she say that there was no point in searching, however? Garnet had been nearly inconsolable since they had lost Steven. They were amazed that she even still existed.

Pearl helped Connie onto the warp pad.

“We’ll go to the barn and talk to Lapis and Peridot. At the very least, one of us can go with them to search.”

Connie nodded.

She knew that Pearl would not include Connie as part of the actual search party, but she supposed it was alright.

She didn’t know how she would feel if she arrived too late.


	4. Aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie makes a risky decision in hopes that she can save Steven.

“What do you mean we can’t take her with us?” Peridot cried out.

“For the last time, she’s human. She can’t survive in space.”

“But we have very limited information to work with and she would be the best direct source! We have to take her!” Peridot argued.

Lapis and Connie silently watched. The meeting had been tense from the start, Lapis remembering Connie as the child she had almost drowned. Even though Connie had greeted her warmly, Lapis was still slow to return the warmth. How could Connie just forgive her like that?

Finally Connie turned to Lapis.

“Are there any ways of being able to communicate with you when you’re up looking for Steven?” Connie asked.

“Well, if we take the Roaming Eye, then there might be come sort of communication device on there, but I don’t know if the gems have anything that they could use to send us messages. Homeworld’s technology has advanced so much -”

“Wait!” Peridot called out. “We still have the  escape pod!”

“Yeah,” Pearl started, “but we used it for the drill -”

“The communication devices should still be intact,” she started. “If I can sync them up with the Roaming Eye, then we could have Connie use that whenever she communicates with Steven in her sleep! Oh, this is great! We might actually find him!”

Connie smiled. Peridot’s optimism was enough to start making her believe that maybe they weren’t too late.

~

Garnet was not convinced that this would work out.

She watched as Pearl and Amethyst argued over where they could have gone wrong in their search. She was surprised neither of them was turning on her.

She was the one with future vision, after all.

“If you hadn’t given up so early in the search, we would have found him!” Amethyst growled.

“Me? You weren’t helping at all! You just kept yelling at us for knocking him out into space! How could I think with you yelling like that?” Pearl retorted. “You kept distracting me and I could barely pilot the ship!”

Garnet stared at her hands. Once again, the stability of the Crystal Gems was in jeopardy. This time, she could have prevented it.

And now, she could see a path where this would spiral out of control.

_All because you couldn’t find him …_

“Please,” Garnet simply stated before getting up and walking to her room, “Stop arguing. It isn’t either of your faults.”

Pearl and Amethyst froze. They both knew now.

“Garnet …” Pearl started.

Garnet sighed and held up her hands to the door. She watched as the gems glowed on the door and then turned to look at Pearl and Amethyst.

“I need some time to think.”

With that, she walked into her room and shut the door behind her.

“Crap,” Amethyst started. “We all really screwed up, didn’t we?”

“We promised we would do anything for him and we failed at that …” Pearl sighed. “But arguing won’t get us anywhere.”

Amethyst nodded.

“Well, we can’t do anything until tomorrow anyway,” Amethyst started. “Hopefully Connie sees him tonight.”

~

Connie didn’t want to take any chances of waking up prematurely. That much was certain. She just wasn’t sure how to hide what she was about to do from her parents.

She knew her dad was not the type to count his sleeping pills.

She took one from the bottle and sneaked back to her room. She couldn’t risk not staying asleep long enough to get information from Steven.

When she got back to her bed, she stared at the pill. Fear crept into her mind, momentarily. What if she didn’t wake up?

_It’s only one pill. You’ll be fine._

She popped the pill in her mouth and chased it with water.

~

“Is there a way for you to show me where you are?” Connie asked.

“Maybe? I’ve never tried completely changing a dream before … Let’s see,” Steven stated as he closed his eyes tight.

The world around Connie shifted and soon she was in space. She stared in amazement at the stars through the pink bubble that surrounded them.

“It’s beautiful … and terrifying …” she whispered.

“Yeah … I still don’t really know where I am. I thought that I saw a planet nearby but I’m not sure …” Steven started.

Connie looked out in the distance.

“I think I see Mars,” Connie started. “It’s so far away though. And you say you passed through an asteroid field?”

“Yeah, but it was a small one,” Steven started.

“Ok. So you probably haven’t gone through the Main asteroid belt yet. Which is good because that would be super dangerous,” Connie sighed. “Ok. When I wake up, I can tell Peridot and Lapis an approximate location for you.”

Steven smiled, expecting Connie to say goodbye now. Instead, she stayed with him.

“Not time to wake up yet?” Steven asked.

“No. I just miss you,” Connie smiled.

Steven blushed.

“I miss you too,” he smiled. “I’ve kept my phone off for most of this … adventure. Mostly to conserve battery. I have your picture as the background though. I know that you’re down on earth and I can return to you.”

Connie smiled. They had danced around how they had felt about each other, only sharing some of their feelings when they were fused. Now though, it seemed like the best time to say something. After all, there was still a chance that Steven wouldn’t be found in time.

“I can’t wait to actually see you again,” Connie smiled. “In person. I don’t ever want to lose you …”

“Me too,” Steven grinned.

They sat and watched the stars, enjoying each other’s company.

Steven wondered, however, why Connie wasn’t leaving yet. Usually something would wake her up and then he would be alone again.

He brushed the thought off for the moment. He was finally getting what he had wanted for so long.

The next morning, Connie felt unusually groggy as she woke up. She sighed and reached for her phone. Her emotions felt dulled, but she attributed it to the dreaming she did. She couldn’t think about it for too long, anyway.

She needed Pearl to take her to the barn again.


	5. Nightmares Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie's decision catches up with her

Pearl was the first one to notice that something was off with Connie.

 

After a couple of days of taking Connie to the barn with information to relay to Lapis and Peridot, the pair had finally resumed training. Pearl had noticed that Connie was much slower than when she had fought before and was about to chalk it up to Connie just not having had as much practice until she saw Connie stab her sword at nothing after the Holo-Pearls had been dismissed.

 

"Connie?" Pearl asked.

 

"Oh! I thought ... wow, I must be more tired than I thought," Connie started. "I had thought one of the Holo-Pearls was there ..."

 

"I dismissed them, Connie," Pearl started. "Are you alright?"

 

"What? Yeah! I'm ok!" Connie chirped, nervously. "Just tired! It's been a stressful few days."

 

"Ok ..." Pearl started as she looked Connie over. The girl looked pale and exhausted, as if she hadn't slept in days. She knew this wasn't true, however. Connie had been talking to Steven in her dreams and the only way she could dream was by sleeping.

 

"Don't worry, Pearl!" Connie smiled, weakly. "We'll get Steven back soon and then everything can go back to normal."

 

"I hope so," Pearl whispered, hugging Connie tightly.

 

She would have to talk to Garnet as soon as she saw the fusion again.

 

~

 

"Are you doing ok, Steven?" Connie asked.

 

"I've had a headache the last few days and I've had to sleep a lot more. I'm just tired ... and thirsty. I haven't had anything to drink since I've been out here," he started.

 

"Oh Steven," Connie whispered.

 

She hadn't even thought about Steven possibly dehydrating in space, but now there was even more of a sense of urgency.

 

"I keep seeing my mom. I just ... I can't believe she killed someone," Steven finally mumbled. "And then I doomed that Ruby ... I'm no better than she was ..."

 

"Steven, no ... You're Steven. You're my best friend and the kindest person I know. You needed to protect yourself ... and maybe that's what happened with your mom too."

 

"... Maybe ..." Steven sighed, looking away.

 

Connie reached out to hold him close. Even if she wasn't physically with him, at least she was there with him in dreams.

 

Then she woke up.

 

She looked around, confused at first. This had never happened since she started taking the sleeping pills.

 

She had to try to get back to sleep. She had to get back to Steven.

 

She crawled out of bed and tip toed to her parents' bedroom. The door was left open, much to her relief.

 

She could easily sneak in and grab another pill.

 

As she carried the pill back to her room, she stared at it.

 

"Maybe I should just bite it in half," she asked herself. "Don't want to take too much ..."

 

As she sat with the pill in her hand, a voice bubbled up in the back of her mind. She knew this was a bad idea, that this was foolish.

 

But she needed to get back to Steven.

 

~

 

Pearl had found that making tea was the most relaxing activity she could think of now. She had been waiting for Connie to call her with any updates, but it had been an hour since when Connie would normally have called. She tried to not think of any bad possibilities, but the worst kept coming to her mind.

 

Something had happened to her student.

 

She sat on the couch and stared at the kitchen phone. Greg had installed it with his newfound fortune and she had been happy that it was there.

 

Now, it just filled her with dread.

 

When the phone finally rang, she had run to it, nearly tripping over her feet as she rushed to answer.

 

When she heard Priyanka's voice on the other end, her blood ran cold.

 

~

 

"Connie, you've been here a long time," Steven noted.

 

"Yeah ... I don't ... I don't feel like waking up really. Not right now, at least."

 

"Are you ok?" Steven asked. "Why don't you feel like waking up?"

 

"It's not that I don't want to wake up. I just literally don't feel like I can right now," Connie started. "I was trying to stay asleep longer and I think ... Oh no ..."

 

"What?" Steven asked.

 

Connie was unable to answer as the world started changing around her. The stars that they had once seen were gone, replaced by a nightmarish landscape of  jagged rocks and dark red skies.

 

"Connie, what's happening?" Steven asked.

 

"I ... I don't know!" Connie cried out. "I ... Maybe this is a side effect?"

 

"A side effect? Of what?" Steven asked.

 

"I was taking something to be able to sleep longer so I could find you. I ... I didn't think that I took too much!"

 

Steven stared at Connie in horror.

 

On one hand, he was mad at Connie for doing that but on the other hand ...

 

"It's my fault," Steven whimpered. "If you weren't so worried, you wouldn't have done this to yourself!"

 

Connie looked over at Steven, she could see his form twisting and deforming.

 

She hoped that this was just part of the nightmare and not actually happening.

 

"No! Steven! It's not your fault!" Connie cried out. "Please! Don't leave me! I can't lose my only real friend!"

 

"Connie ..." Steven started.

 

"I'm trying so hard and I don't want to lose you ... and now I still might lose you ... Even though I did everything ..."

 

"Connie, it's ok ..." Steven started. "I don't blame you ... I could never blame you ..."

 

Connie looked up at Steven.

 

She could fell the grogginess starting to lift. The nightmare was melting away to nothingness.

 

But Steven was still there, for now.

 

"Steven ..."

 

"I'll still be here. I promise," he whispered.

 

She hoped he was right.

 

She held his hand tightly.

 

"Please hold on ... they'll be there soon," she whispered.

 

Steven smiled, sadly.

 

When Connie woke up, she was in a hospital bed. Her mother and father were next to her bed.

 

She expected anger or scolding from them.

 

She instead received tight hugs from both of them.

 

"Oh Connie, we were so worried," Priyanka wept.

 

"We didn't know ..." Doug whispered.

 

"I don't think she meant to do it," they heard a voice say behind them.

 

Connie looked past her parents to see Garnet and Pearl. Garnet walked to the bed and sat on the side opposite her parents.

 

"Connie, what did you see?" Garnet whispered.

 

"Steven ... he's dehydrated ... I don't know how much longer ..." Connie whimpered. "Did I almost die?"

 

"You were barely conscious when we went into your room," Priyanka started. "Doug saw the half of a sleeping pill next to your bed and we feared the worst."

 

Connie felt guilt tug at her. She hadn't meant for her parents to worry so much. This was the exact reason she hadn't said anything.

 

"It was an accident," Connie started. "I was trying to sleep so that I could see Steven ..."

 

"Connie ..." Priyanka whispered.

 

"Steven could walk into people's dreams," Garnet started. "It's possible that Steven is still alive in space and has been communicating with Connie ... But now ..."

 

"It's been so long, though!" Priyanka started. "How could he still be alive?"

 

"We get all of our energy from our gems," Garnet started. "It's possible that Steven has been able to sustain himself somewhat from his gem. He is still half human, however."

 

"I need to get to the barn and get on Peridot's communication device to tell Lapis and Peridot that he could be dying right now!" Connie cried out. "He's dehydrated and weak! Please!"

 

"I'll tell them," Pearl started. "You need to rest more. When Steven comes back, he's going to want to see you, I'm sure of it. You'll need to be rested up."

 

Connie smiled weakly as she watched Pearl leave.

 

She turned to Garnet.

 

She thought she had heard her whisper something under her breath.

 

She didn't want to know what it was.


	6. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie says goodbye.

She didn’t dream about Steven that night.

When she woke up, she wondered if she had been too late.

She was supposed to stay in the hospital two more nights as a precaution. She just wanted to go home and be in her bed.

Her mom had brought the bedside picture of Steven to sit next to her one night, but the picture just hurt Connie to the core. She had failed him. She knew it.

Pearl visited the most out of the gems, telling Connie bits of history that she would never have told Steven. She would preface it with “Don’t tell Steven when he gets back,” but Connie knew.

Steven wasn’t coming back.

On her last night in the hospital, Connie found it a little easier to fall asleep. She had accepted what had happened.

She fell asleep, wishing she could say good bye one final time.

As she dreamed of the beach, she watched as the world changed around her.

It can’t be …

Connie turned to see Steven. He was thinner and seemed to be just a shadow of his former self. He made an effort to smile.

“Hi, Connie,” he whispered.

“Steven … They … are they there yet?”

“No.”

That was all she needed to hear to know that it was too late.

“Steven … I’m so sorry …”

Steven took her hand gently.

“Connie, it’s ok. It’s not your fault,” he started. “I’m just thankful I got to talk to you one more time.”

“Steven … Please hold on. They have to be there soon.”

“They won’t make it. I’ve been asleep so long … I can’t last much longer, Connie,” he whispered. “But you need to.”

She looked into his eyes.

“I don’t know how I will …”

“You must. Connie … I …  I know that we thought this a lot, but I want to actually tell you now,” he started, cupping her face in his hand. “I love you. I have for a long time. And I am so glad that I got to be your friend.”

Connie felt tears spill from her eyes. She gently reached her hand up to touch his cheek.

“I love you too, Steven. I always will.”

Steven smiled.

“Everything will be ok.  I know it.”

Connie nodded and pressed her forehead against his. She wished that she could change this but she knew that Steven was right.

He was dying and he was going to use the last moments to be with her.

“Were you able to say goodbye to your dad?” Connie asked.

“I tried. I don’t think he thought it was really me though,” Steven started. “It’s ok though. I saw him.”

The pair looked out at the stars. Connie felt Steven set his head on her shoulder.

“Please promise me you’ll be ok,” he pleaded.

“I promise.”

“Thank you. I’m tired … I think I need to sleep …”

Connie choked back a sob and grabbed Steven’s hand.

“I know …”

“I love you …”

“I love you too …”

“I’m cold …”

Connie looked down at Steven. He seemed to be fading away.

“Connie … I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too …” She whispered.

Steven smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek. With one more smile, he held up his hand in a wave.

Connie waved back.

Then Steven was gone.


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bittersweet epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I'm hoping this ending works. I kind of wanted to put a bittersweet stinger on this one.

Connie knew when Peridot told them that they found Steven. She didn't even need to hear the sadness and desperation in Peridot's voice.

 

She knew when the gems took Steven to Rose's fountain in hopes that they weren't too late.

 

A second funeral was held, this time a proper burial. Greg had not gone for anything expensive, knowing what his son's wishes would have been. A simple pine coffin held his son now. Connie never told him that Steven could have been saved. It would have broken him.

 

Once again, Pearl offered Connie the chance at living a normal human life and forgetting all about the Crystal Gems and once again, Connie turned her down.

 

They needed her now.

 

When a second Roaming Eye landed on earth, Connie was there to assist the gems in battle.

 

It would become the first of many trips to Rose's fountain.

 

When Connie was nearly eighteen, Yellow Diamond landed on earth. The gems nearly banned her from joining, but Connie insisted.

 

She ended up being the one to break all of the gems out of their holding cells and save the day.

 

It was when Connie was nearly forty that she realized she was aging slowly. All of the trips to Rose's fountain after battles were slowing her aging process. She kept confidence in Peridot that she did not enjoy staying youthful. She wanted to age, eventually. She needed to

 

Somehow, the green gem understood.

 

When Connie lost her parents, the gems were there to comfort her. They were amazed that it hadn't broken her like losing Steven nearly had. Connie had gained a strength in living for Steven, for her parents, and for the earth that they had never thought they would see in a human. They did notice a change in her, however. She was less emotional, less likely to cry at night over her losses.

 

Once again, Pearl was the first to notice that Connie was hesitant to make trips to the healing fountain post-battle after the loss of her parents. After a particularly rough training session, Pearl finally approached Connie about it.

 

"It's not natural for me to live as long as you do," Connie simply stated.

 

Pearl still sneaked vials of Rose's tears on missions, just in case.

 

Connie finally began to age around eighty, a few thin, silver strands marking the beginning of something that should have happened sooner.

 

When Connie was ninety years old, the gems finally found out where she went after every battle.

 

Peridot had followed Connie after a battle and discovered that she would often make her way to the cemetery. The green gem nearly gave herself away with a gasp when she saw Connie sit at Steven's grave. She listened as Connie updated him on her life and on the latest battle. She would end her visit by kissing her hand and placing it on his tombstone.

 

Peridot would never tell Connie that she saw her.

 

When Connie was one hundred and twenty years old, she gently embraced the gems one more time and told them she wanted to visit Steven. When she walked out of the house, she found Lion waiting for her. She gingerly sat on his back and the beast gently padded his way down to the cemetery.

 

When the pair arrived, Connie gasped in shock.

 

The dirt around Steven's grave was in disarray. Standing in front of the tombstone was a giant woman with long, curly pink hair. She turned to look at Connie.

 

Lion helped Connie over to the woman and then lay down.

 

"Rose?" Connie whispered.

 

"Did you know my son?" Rose asked. "What happened?"

 

Connie motioned for Rose to sit on the bench across from Steven's grave. Rose obliged and sat next to her.

 

"We were best friends ... Almost more but he went too soon ..." Connie started.

 

"What was he like?"

 

Connie smiled, remembering again how wonderful Steven had been. The memories did not bring pain like they used to. Instead, she was filled with happiness. She would be seeing him soon.

 

"He was incredible ..."


End file.
